BeautyGoddess

Hello. my dear friends, hope you are all well

We are a half month through our Australian autumn but the warm weather still holds which means that we haven't packed our summer clothes yet.  However, these days if I have to leave the house early in the morning going to work or for a walk after the sun is set, I would grab something warm to cover my shoulders.  

It's this in-between-the seasons period when you need two sets of clothing, one for the warm time of the day, the other - when the air gets cooler.  It could be a hoody if I am going for a walk, a jumper or a unbuttoned shirt if I am running errands and wear something quite casual or in case of a more formal occasion, a classic blazer does the trick.

It might sound like too much hassle but it's quite simple, really.  I still wear my summer clothes but always have a jumper with me, a blazer or sometimes just a long sleeved shirt to throw over a t-shirt or a singlet, depending on what our plans for the day are.

One of the pieces of clothes that I tend to wear quite often lately is a pair of my new ecru linen pants.  Thanks to their simple style and neutral colour, I don't need to worry about my colour choices and I could easily dress them up and down by mixing them with casual or formal pieces depending on what we have on during the day.

Last weekend, for example,  we were going to the Art Gallery of NSW to view the Kandinsky exhibition from the Guggenheim museum in NY.  As you all know, in this day and age nobody is expecting you to adhere to a "dress code" anymore and roll up at the door wearing a tux or a ball gown and elbow length silk gloves.    Ever since COVID all the rules of what should be worn where have become blurred or just simply disappeared.  However, my husband I, both born in another era, still like to follow a dress code, at least to a some degree and dress up accordingly.  

We are both love and respect art so for this particular outing I chose to wore my linen pants topped up with a simple white t-shirt but then I put on my red classic blazer from David Lawrence and accessorized with my new LV scarf to elevate this casual outfit to another level.  

And I decided to carry my Pinko metallic handbag with heavy metal chain to mix things up a little.

The exhibition was quite extensive, one of the biggest outside the US, and we loved it.  As a former citizen of the former USSR, I felt very proud that such a prolific and talented painter was my fellow  countryman.

This weekend, on the other hand, we were invited to a combined birthday party, my husband's middle son and his girlfriend were both turning forty.  The party was taking place in the park where they hired an open patio with casual tables and chairs and BBQ area where the host, with the help of his male guests cooked us some sausages.  

There were also a lot of different dips, freshly sliced vegetables and a several bowls full of potato chips.  In other words, it was a very casual  laid back affair, the atmosphere was very relaxed and very enjoyable.

My outfit was equally very casual.  The same linen pants but instead of a t-shirt I wore a singlet, in case the weather would warm up as the day progressed and I could take off my pink and white striped shirt that I casually threw over the singlet and left it unbuttoned.  

So, here we go - two very different occasions and two different looks, the only common thing between them was a pair of linen pants.

In this post I would like to continue what I started in the previous post, summer and linen.  If you missed my last post, you can catch up with us here.

Today I would like to present you my new linen waistcoat (UK version) or a vest, as its called in the England.  If you live or have been in Australia during summer months, you sure know how hot and humid it could be, so wearing items like vests, singlets or spaghetti strap dresses makes perfect sense. 

Out of all summer fabs popping up on the streets of Sydney, the linen or light cotton vests seems the most popular.  Some women like to wear them paired with wide legged pants and flats sandals or sneakers, while others opted to wear them with pencil skirts and heeled shoes, a smart way of mixing casual and smart for the office.

I was on the lookout for a linen vest myself and when I saw a vest in bottle green colour in Zara, I couldn't resist adding it to my closet.  It came right on time, as the temperature in Sydney has soared to new heights in the last couple of weeks.  Today I am wearing it with my old white Bermuda shorts and flats but I also tried it with my new tie-dye skirt (worn here) and white linen pants (yet to be shown ) and it looks great with both.

It might make you chuckle looking at me wearing a scarf in the middle of the hot summer day but we are on the way to a museum and as all other public places in the city, it is heavily air-conditioned and very cold which makes me get seek easily, hence I seldom leave the house without one.

As I am writing this post, I am looking at the images that my younger daughter just sent me from one of the ski resorts in Japan, where the snow is up to her knees and the temperature is below zero.  And she is absolutely loving it.  Go figure 😀.

Until then,

Anna

XOXOXO

 Hello, my dear friends, how is 2024 treating you so far?

We have been quite busy over the festive season as I am sure so was everyone else.  Our social calendars are fully booked with various events and activities It's traditionally the time when you catch up with your  friends to have that last meal before the year ends;  It's the time when a lot family and friends get-togethers are happening as travelling, partying and generally having a time with no care in the world.

We didn't do a lot of travelling per se but we did a lot of driving around Sydney and surrounds showcasing how beautiful our city is to my cousins from Germany.  And of course there was a lot of eating, drinking, talking and basking in the warmth of being a part of a loving family.

So as you can imagine, I didn't have much time to partake in the craziness aka as Black Friday Sale nor in the days that followed BFS.  I did, however, manage to pop into Zara and buy an A-line wrap-around skirt that am wearing a lot this summer.

I initially was attracted by the untraditional pattern of the tie-dye.  The A-line silhouette is very simple and flattering, the fabric is light and even if it creases a lot, hey it's linen and it's what expected from it, right?

My initial thoughts were to add it to my casual clothes section of the closet as linen is normally associated with the care-free life style and I really like wearing it with just a simple white t-shirt and sandals.  On the second thought, with the help of right accessories I can smarten it up into the next level.  Whenever I buy a new piece of clothing, I always picture the different ways it can be styled and the more of them, the happier I am.  And soon I had the opportunity to do just that.

One sunny Saturday, we were taking our abovementioned German cousins to un upmarket Italian eatery called Trattoria or as local call it Tratt for a Saturday lunch.  The restaurants sits right across the road from the famous Bondi Beach and offers a breathtaking view over the ocean glistening under the summer sun, surf and tanned and toned sunbathers sprawled on the white sandy beach.  The restaurant is a destination and is highly popular amongst locals and visitors alike.  Although it's within walking distance to the beach, you will never see anyone wearing bikinis or board shorts there.  People make the effort of dressing up for the occasion as the Italians do.  

I was thinking of wearing my new linen skirt (so Italian) but dressed it up for the occasion with the assistance of heeled sandals, a statement necklace and a "new" handbag.  

You have seen me wearing these shoes from Alohas before, same goes for the necklace.   As for the hand bag, it was my first foray into buying anything second hand.  I saw it in in the window of our local pawn shop shining so brightly that it was hard to miss.  I went inside and ask the shop owner if I can have a closer look.  Turns out it was made by Italian brand called Pinko and a lovebirds buckle is their official trademark.  This and a heavy white metal chain were the features that I really like about this bag.  It was hugely discounted as the second hand item should be and I bought it without any hesitation and it is now on a high rotation.

Quite satisfied with the result, I quickly grabbed a silk colourful scarf (one can never predict the wind factor when you are near the ocean) and headed for the door.

What do you think of this transformation?  How would you jazz up your casual outfit?  I enjoy reading your comments and suggestions so lease share your thoughts in a comment section below.  

Until then

Anna

xoxoxo

 Hello dear friends, how are you all?

February is officially the last month of the Australian summer and statistically the hottest month with the highest level of humidity which does not do any good to my hair.  Hence, it is not my most favourite time of summer.  I used to love a day like that but lately I prefer the cooler weather, at least in the evening and at night.  I love going down to the beach for a sundowner when the sun has not touched down until after 8 pm but its rays have lost their intensity and everything becomes rather subdued and the fresh breeze caresses your skin and you reach for your linen blazer to drape it over your shoulders while sipping an Aperol Spritz and watching the world going by.

The linen blazer is one piece of clothing that I wear a lot through autumn, spring and even in summer.  Like today, for example, we went to a local art gallery to view a private collection of contemporary artists that was on sale as a part of an estate - not a grand affair by any standards to qualify for a dress -up but not a drink night at our local pub either.  So I decided to merge the two vibes into one - party on the top, casual on the bottom.

Once I knew in which direction I was going, the rest was just a matter of choosing what top would I like to wear over the pair of Bermuda shorts and what else in my wardrobe could assist me in elevating this outfit.  

Thus I settled for a sleeveless satin top in a warm orange colour, a neutral coloured linen blazer that I could wear over it or just drape it over my shoulders and a silk orange scarf with a black and white geometrical print that I tied over my Furla handbag.  It became useful once we stepped inside the gallery and were greeted by the chill blast coming from the air-conditioning.

The collection was amazing, from Andy Warhol to great Australian artists like Charles Blackman and Sidney Nolan with price tags way out of our league but we still enjoyed it.

Afterwards we took a walk around the grounds, taking pictures and admiring the beautifully landscaped and maintained gardens.

Until then,

Anna

xoxoxo

Last week was one of the happiest weeks of my life -  my second grandchild, a boy this time 👦, was born.  I already have a granddaughter, Edie, who is nearly 4 years old 😍.

This wonderful occasion filled me with joy and hope and these positive feelings are the reflection of my OOTD.  When I saw a skirt of a vivid colour of mango on a rack at a Sass and Bide store, I knew that I have to have it no matter what.  

My first attraction was to its sunny happy colour that is the epitome of an Australian summer🌞.  Then I saw the tassels knotted into the fabric, the silk soft strands cascading around the skirt all the way down to the ankles and I literally fell in love with it.  No wonder, it was called a Dreamville Skirt.

When one piece of your outfit projects a strong visual impact to become a focal point, you don't want the other items of your outfit to clash with it.  That's why I chose to wear just a simple white t-shirt with the skirt.  I wanted the t-shirt to be slightly cinched around the waist but at first I couldn't figure out the best way to do but then I remembered that I have a big decorative buckle that might come helpful and it did.  I just threaded a piece of fabric through one hole and secured it with a safety pin on the other side.

 This buckle was part of a set (my necklace is the other part) that I bought in Bali many years ago.  Traditionally these buckles are made of coconut shells and the Balinese people use them to secure two ends of the sarong when it is wrapped around the waist.   I was quite happy with the way it worked out and decided to add  a necklace to complete the set.  

In the past if I wore a t-shirt like this one with the crew cut, I would never wear anything around my neck, not even a slim chain but now I've seen a few young girls wearing thick gold chains or even a string of pearls over a simple t-shirt and I quite like this new trend so I am trying to embrace it myself.

I always like how the red and orange colours look well together as they are both members of the same Red family and they both project a happy vibrancy around them and for that reason I accessorised my outfit with the red colour Louis Vuitton handbag 👜.

For our first visit to the hospital, we bought some flowers for the mother, a blue balloon🎈 for the new-born and a red star-shaped one for Edie.  You can't simply buy something for one child and nothing for his sibling.  She was so excited when we handed her the bright red balloon that when the time came to say good-bye to her mom and the brother, she didn't even cry.  What a sweet day it was!!!

Outfit details:

Skirt - Sass & Bide

T-shirt - Zara

Handbag - Louis Vuitton

Shoes - French Court